In a few weeks, voters within the Alamogordo public school district will begin receiving ballots through the mail.

These ballots are for an APS special election to renew the Capital Improvements Mill Levy.

APS held a public forum Feb. 27 at Desert Star Elementary to discuss the mill levy and what it meant to the school district as well as to property tax rates.

When the forum began, only two non-APS employees were there, but two more showed up a little later.

“I want to start by saying that I really, genuinely appreciate you guys coming tonight because we have 6,000 kids in our district, 800 employees. We’ve campaigned for this. We’ve tried to spread the word, but the reality is that we have two people show up,” APS Superintendent Jerrett Perry said. “There’s a level of apathy that’s out there and for you guys to come tonight, it really does mean a lot.”

About 10 minutes later two more people arrived.

The district has scheduled more than 50 speaking engagements throughout the city including radio appearances and other public forums through April 9, the mail-in ballot due date.

“Our message is to deliver the reality and the reality of what this mill levy means to you as property owners in particular,” Perry said. “The message that I have for you, more than anything else, what people are wondering about, is you’ll notice that (the pamphlet) says ‘No Tax Increase.’”

One of the members of public in attendance was Daniel Cass who did not like the verbiage on the pamphlet that there would be no tax increase, which was one of APS Board President Timothy Wolfe’s misgivings during an APS work session on February 9.

The mill levy will not raise tax rates.

The current tax rate will be maintained as the state senate bill has been in effect for 18 years.

Albuquerque Public Schools tried to add an increase in the tax rate and the mill levy failed there.

In Alamogordo, APS is not asking for a tax increase.

“You have a mill levy that’s in place right now and all we’re asking to do is to maintain the current tax rate,” Perry said. “That’s all we’re asking for. We’ve had the mill levy SB 9 in place for 18 years and every six years, it comes up for election and that’s where we’re at.”

Up in Cloudcroft, they were asking for the same mill levy with no tax increase and it failed, Perry said.

Although school officials state that the measure would not raise tax rates, if it is defeated, tax rates may go down.

However, if the measure is not passed, APS will not be able to do routine maintenance such as plumbing repairs, upgrading security and safety measures, electrical repairs and maintenance and more.

“If this fails, and we have to find another way to supplement, and the only real way to supplement is through operation, then we’re gonna be left with a tough conversation: ‘Do we just let our schools dilapidate?’” Perry said. “As homeowners and property owners you know that these schools dilapidate because we don’t have the money to maintain them, then the valuation on your homes is going to go down. It’s important. We’re either going to have to maintain our facilities or we’re gonna have to dig into operational to supplement. When you dig into operational, that impacts classrooms. Direct impact on kids.”

Another issue is the verbiage of the ballot question.

The ballot states that by voting “yes” the voter authorizes APS to impose a property tax. The ballot should say maintain, Perry said.

“The reason that it is not changed in this is because this is a statute and there’s no way we can change it. But the reality is that this is a mill levy and it depends on the valuation of your property,” Perry said. “It’s up to you whether you vote 'yes' or 'no' but understand the complications that go along with it.”

There are two more public forums scheduled; the first at 6 p.m. on March 12 at Chaparral Middle School Library, and the second at 6 p.m. on April 3 at Alamogordo High School Library.

Aside from those, Perry and his team will be on various local radio programs leading up to April 8.

Ballots are due back to the Otero County Clerk’s Office no later than 7 p.m. on April 9.

There will also be a Bring Your Own Ballot event at 6 p.m. on March 18 at the Flickinger Center for the Performing Arts.